Now, the management of the project isn’t really about the customer but lies in the hands of the landscaping company. Sure you will have a hand with the design, and no doubt you will oversee the project’s creation, but the real work involved in management is in the company’s hands. Aside from the above mentioned, it also involves providing services to individuals, businesses, wildlife parks, zoos and government and commercial sites. Generally, the management of a landscape involves caring for the landscape as well as following the wishes of the client.

Residential

The most well known type of management though is the maintenance of residential yards. This includes lawn care, the planting of trees and shrubs and plants, treating the grass and soil, as well as designing for a more aesthetically pleasing vibe. Landscapers who primarily serve residential clients most often include with their services ongoing lawn maintenance, pruning of shrubs, cutting the grass and overall maintenance.

Commercial

When it comes to commercial projects, the similarities of building a landscape around buildings and such are similar to that of residential projects. Though the scale of work will be broader and the amount of manpower significantly higher, it is mostly the same kind of work albeit in a grander scale.

Forest And Woodland Areas

Though landscape management is all about having a good knowledge of flora and fauna, as well as having an eye for design, when it comes to maintaining forests and woodland areas, it is much more complex. It is this reason why those who wish to enter this kind of management will have advanced degrees in forestry and agriculture. They must know tree seeding techniques, irrigation techniques and what not.

So if you are a client and have heard of landscape management, do not fret and think that it falls upon you to handle it. Sure you will have a hand in the process of creating your dream landscape, but the specific job of managing it falls to the landscaping company. Good news for the lazy types who don’t want to lift a finger. but if you are someone who wants to have an active role with the landscape project, consult the nearest landscaping company in you area to find out how you can work things out.

Of course there are overlaps in what both do, but there are significant differences. Otherwise, why the different names? So what sets them apart form each other? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Read on…

Landscape Architect

Landscape architects have a minimum of four years education, with some having six or eight years of higher education. Aside from this, they must also complete a three year internship in a landscape architectural office before they can get certified. The bottom line here? They are educated and exacting professionals who can get technical if they need to.

Strengths:

A landscape architect is deeply involved in the study of design theory, engineering, planning, aesthetics the sciences and history. Their education broad and deep,  which make the scale of projects they can execute as virtually unlimited.

Weaknesses:

When it comes to design, some landscape architects tend to be too clinical with an over-reliance on structure. This may make their designs seem too rigid. Having a degree does not mean talent, it just means you finished the curriculum. Before hiring a landscape architect, ask to see their portfolios to give you an idea on the level of talent they have. To add, they also find themselves indoors most of time with limited field experience.

Garden Landscaper:

Unlike the architect, the garden landscaper usually has little to no experience when it comes to the art of landscaping. A person who designates himself as a landscaper is usually a garden maintenance person. They usually have a small truck will tools like a rakes, shovels, pruning shears and what not. They should not be treated as designers unless they offer that service and have a portfolio to speak of.

Strengths:

Though their education may be non-existent as compared to the architect, a garden landscaper may have the field experience that the architect lacks. They spend their days outdoors most of the time, working on gardens all year round. As a designer, if they offer that service, they can trump the architect with their heart alone.

Weaknesses:

The obvious weaknesses of a garden landscaper is that they are not educated. What may seem aesthetically pleasing to them, may not be structurally sound for your garden. This can cause serious problems of course. Also, though their experience may be extensive, having the technical know how on how things work is limited.

So there you have it. The differences between a garden landscaper and a landscape architect. Now, if you might have notices, the disparities between the two are huge. The best thing to do? Is have them both work together rather than alone. They complement each other perfectly. But of course, it depends on what you want done on your garden. Check out our list of landscapers and find out how their landscape architect and garden landscapers can help you and your garden achieve aesthetic perfection!

Listed below are some  garden types and brief descriptions on what they are.

Rock Gardens – Despite what the name suggests, a rock garden need not be all about rocks. A properly executed rock garden should mimic an Alpine mountainside complete with rough-hewn rocks, mountain flowers and foliage. These are best for sloped areas in your lawn.

Rose Gardens – The perennial favorite, rose gardens are kept and maintained because of their stunning beauty. With all the different kinds or roses available today, it is relatively simple to choose one that would suit your tastes easily.

Water Gardens – Once upon a time, having a water garden meant having to shell out a fortune. But with today’s new materials like flexible liners and pre-formed pools, you can easily have your own water garden without breaking the bank.

Herb Gardens – These type of gardens are best suited if you or someone in your household loves to cook. Having a year round supply of many popular herbs and spices not only gives you easy access to flavor, but their aromatic plants is also conducive to relaxation.

There are many more garden types out there which you can easily research on. These are just a few that are rapidly gaining popularity and fans. If you would like to know more about garden types and their advantages and disadvantages, contact your local garden landscaper to see what they suggest.

In short, before you go about and ask a landscape contractor to build you a new garden, find out which types would suit you perfectly. You are not restricted to having one type of garden though, you can mix and match to your heart’s content. One part being a rock garden, one side a rose garden, while the corner a herb garden is easy. Of course hiring a professional will make it easier and give you an overview on how to go about it.

If you are unsure about what to do with your garden, then go ahead and ask a landscaper. They can give you ideas and samples on how your garden could/should look according to your tastes.

But to have a great garden is more than just adding plants, rocks fountains and what not. If you must have a stab at it, make sure you know what you are doing and avoid the risks of being kitschy. Your best bet though, is to hire the best landscaper you can find. So how do you choose a garden landscaper?

Ask Around

The easiest way to find a landscaper is to ask around. Ask your friends who recently had their gardens fixed, or you can ask your co-workers for advice. The best way to ask around is to ask those who have experience with landscapers. Whether they hired one themselves, or know of one personally, etc.

Knowing What You Need

Now, it may be that you want your garden turned into a fully functioning water park, with a high drought tolerance. What you need is a landscape architect. If all you want is to have your existing hedges trimmed, trees pruned and grass cut, then you don’t need a landscaper, what you need is a gardener and that’s all.

Know what you want to know who you need. Which makes doing a little research become all the more worthwhile. You wouldn’t want to overspend for a landscape architect, and at the same time insult him or her, to have your hedges trimmed to a giraffe shape would you?

Conducting Small Interviews

The best way to know which among the many landscapers you encounter and see is to do small interviews. No need for personal appearances, just over the phone will suffice. You can ask for brochures or take a peek at their websites to get to know them better but if a website is not available, you can ask your important questions over the phone.

Many landscapers offer free consulting and estimates so it’s a must that you ask if these are available with your list of potential landscapers. If possible, invite them over to have them check out your place so you can talk about what you need with your garden. Try to invite as many as you can so you can choose among them and decide which garden landscaper works for you. Some may share your vision, yet lack the patience to deal with you, while some may not be as experienced yet are willing to give their all to please you.

In the end, it’s about you and your garden. Do what pleases you.

If you want to start your hunt, check out our list of local landscapers in your area.

If you stop and think about it, having a well designed landscape can offer you more than just lower heating and cooling costs. You also protect your home from winter and summer sun; reduce consumption of water, pesticides, and fuel for landscaping and lawn maintenance; and you also get to control the amount of noise and air pollution in your area as well.

Saving Money The Whole Year Round

Having trees in strategical places in your landscape can help reduce your energy bills by up to 25%. A U.S. computer study showed that having trees around the house in key positions can reduce cooling costs by about a hundred to two hundred fifty dollars a month.

A leaf shedding tree placed near a window can help you cool your house during the summer, and by winter, with its leaves gone, can let in the winter sun to help heat and light it. This of course translates to huge savings on your next electric bill.

Cooling The Summer

Have you ever noticed walking in the park in the middle of summer, then feel that the park is noticeably cooler than when you are smack dab in the city? Shading and evapotranspiration (the act of trees releasing water vapor) lower the surrounding air temperatures by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

The way cool air settles lower, the areas beneath the trees can be lower than a whopping 25 degrees than in the city. What this means is, if your garden is designed by an expert landscaping company, you can reduce your cooling bills from 15-50% in the summer. That’s huge savings!

Help In Winter

Now, how does a well designed garden help during the winter? Have you heard of wind chill? Basically, if the outside temperature is -10 degrees C, wind speed is 20MPH, then the wind chill factor is -24 degrees. It involves some complex math, but trust me on these figures… anyway, with well placed trees, fences and geographical features can act as a wind breakers that protect your home from the wind chill. Well placed wind breaks around a home can net you 40% in savings with your energy bill.

These are just the economical aspects of having a well designed landscape. A good landscaping service can help you when you want to get these savings through a good landscape. And besides, having a great looking garden in the process also helps as well. If you want to learn more about the benefits of a good landscaping, check out our list of local landscaping companies.

• Address: 42 Molan Street, Ringwood VIC 3134
• Phone: (03) 9879 3656
• Fax: (03) 9879 3658
• Email: info@semken.com.au
• Website: www.semken.com.au
• Services: Landscape construction, garden maintenance and design

Semken Landscaping Pty Ltd was formed in 1987 and has grown to become one of the largest landscaping companies in Australia.

We take on projects from small domestic construction and maintenance jobs to large commercial works.

Since our inception we have completed thousands of residential and commercial projects. We have an extensive and growing client base consisting of Home Owners, Councils, Statutory Authorities, Commercial, National and Multi National Organisations.

We pride ourselves on our ability to form strong relationships. Many of these relationships are long term enabling us to provide professional and quality services in an ongoing capacity over a number of years and in a wide variety of areas.

We have also developed a reputation for excelling in Flower & Garden Shows. Construction of these displays requires the highest standards of quality and completion within very limited time frames. Our ability to achieve this is measured by our impressive list of Awards.

Our established reputation, as a provider of quality product is testament to the skills of our staff. At Semken Landscaping, we employ some of the most highly skilled personnel within the Landscaping Industry. It is this skill coupled with our experience and vision that enables us to create and maintain gardens which are stunning and functional – encompassing the needs of your lifestyle or corporate identity.

We pride ourselves on our outcomes and as a result, Semken Landscaping is now recognised amongst the best in the business. It is considered a leader at the forefront of the Landscaping Industry.

Domestic Landscape Construction
Our domestic landscape construction division has long been regarded as an industry leader. Our highly qualified staff work with both client and designer to make their dreams a reality – on time and within budget.

You will see us at work all over Melbourne: from high density locations within the inner city to urban acreages, rural, or waterfront properties. We aim to realise our client’s vision – with care to detail.

From the contemporary and abstract to the period or heritage we can design and build a garden which meets your needs and compliments your home.

Commercial Construction
Over the years, we have developed an extensive portfolio of company contracts.

These companies know they can rely on us to provide their business premises with the best possible image projecting from their surrounding landscaping. Our proven track record with large companies and councils over the years has helped Semken Landscaping strengthen its position in the Commercial Landscaping Industry.

Factory or Office Block, Parkland, Streetscape or Estate Development, Semken Landscaping can bring your vision to life.

Garden Design – The Process
1. Design Consultation
A consultation of approximately one hour will be conducted at your property. Alternatively, if your home is under construction and you are in possession of final plans, the consultation can be carried out at our Braeside Showroom. The designer will discuss your garden preferences and budget so as to go away with adequate information to develop your ideal garden.

2. Fee Proposal
Based on the initial consultation, the designer will propose a design fee based on the estimated number of hours required to design and draft your garden.

3. Measure Up or Site Plan
Once the fee proposed is approved, your designer will visit your property to take measurements. Alternatively, final site plans will be required.

4. Design & Draft
Your designer will develop a landscape plan along with plant and material recommendations, based on your lifestyle and garden requirements and your landscaping budget.

5. Presentation
Once drafting is complete the deisigner will organise a time with you to come and present the final plans or you will be invited to our Braeside Showroom for your approval.

6. Construction
Once your design is complete, the Semken Landscaping team will offer a quotation for the construction of your garden. Construction will commence once you have approved all associated costs.

Garden Maintenance
Semken Landscaping Garden Maintenance Services can not only enhance the individual site but continue to maintain and improve the aesthetics of the property.

All our maintenance teams are staffed by qualified horticulturists with extensive experience.

We provide a large range of maintenance services to a wide range of clients and work in the areas of Residential, Body Corporate, Commercial, Parkland and Estate Management. We also maintain a large number of schools & preschools, maternal health centres, childcare centres, streetscapes, sporting precincts and recreational reserves.

Semken Landscaping can assist with ‘once off’, ‘as requested’, Vacation Relief or Routine garden maintenance.

To find out more about our company and services, please visit: www.semken.com.au

• Address: Lilydale VIC 3140
• Phone: (03) 9739 6673
• Fax: (03) 9739 6653
• Mobile: 0419 372 997
• Email: enquiry@wellsdesign.com.au
• Website: www.wellsdesign.com.au
• Services: Landscaping and horticultural design and consultation, garden maintenance

Wells Design Landscapes founders, Yvonne & Steve Wells are professional Landscape Designers and Horticulturalists, with 30 years experience. Yvonne is the principal design professional and works directly with the clients. They have a strong track record of designing and creating outstanding outdoor living areas and gardens throughout Melbourne.

Yvonne has spent her life in the horticultural world, her father was a doctor of Botany and she has travelled extensively around the world visiting and studying the finest gardens. With over 3 decades of experience, Yvonne has developed a vast knowledge and has lectured at Holmesglen TAFE to students of Computer Aided Landscape Design. She continues to learn and thrives on helping people to learn about and love gardens

Yvonne believes their strength lies in their ability to assess their customer’s needs, design and create a garden that takes into consideration the critical factors of short and long term goals for the property. Whether it is a total garden reconstruction or a simple makeover.

• Personal on site professional consultations with our designers and horticulturalists, Steve & Yvonne Wells, who own and operate the business personally.
• Professional landscaping/garden designs produced in Computer Aided Design (CAD) for easy modification and duplicates, if required.
• Horticultural/Landscaping consultation and advice for DIY.
• Ongoing maintenance of your new garden
• Personal one on one coaching for you to learn about your new garden and how to maintain and develop it.

To find out more about our company and landscaping services, please visit: www.wellsdesign.com.au

• Address: 50 Elida Crescent, Narre Warren, South Victoria 3805
• Mobile: 0408 578 035
• Email: info@waterstonelandscapes.com.au
• Website: www.waterstonelandscapes.com.au
• Services: Garden design and maintenance, paving, retaining walls, outdoor lighting decks, water features, irrigation systems

Waterstone Landscapes is owned and operated by expert landscape gardeners based in Victoria, Australia. Waterstone Landscapes offers a complete solution for your landscaping design, construction and maintenance needs – no job is too big or too small. Waterstone Landscapes services all areas of Victoria and provides a guarantee on all of its work.

We create beautiful and functional gardens at an affordable price and has built a reputation on exceptional workmanship.

GARDEN DESIGN

• Obligation free initial consultation on site
• Advice on themes, styles, materials & colours
• Design work including concept plans, elevation drawings & planting plans
• Plant & lawn selection with advice on soil type, location, fertilising and pruning requirements
• Presentation of concept plan and quotation

GARDEN MAINTENANCE

• Lawns mowed and edged according to lawn type
• Clippings can be removed
• Re-seeding & top-dressing existing lawns
• Fertilise lawns and garden beds using well tested premium quality products
• An annual maintenance schedule can be formulated to suit your garden
• Inspection and treatment of plants with nutrient deficiencies
• Soil analysis
• Summer & winter pruning of roses
• Hedge trimming
• Removal of dead wood within plants & trees
• Pruning advice
• Organic and hard rubbish removal service
• Bin hire available from 2 to 6 cubic metres

PAVING

• Concrete, sandstone, limestone, bluestone and slate paving
• New and second-hand bricks
• Gravel surfaces
• Choice of base (flexible or solid)

RETAINING WALLS

• Treated pine and redgum sleeper walls
• Concrete block walls
• Natural rock and stackstone walls
• Brick walls with optional coloured mortar
• NOTE: Engineers certificate required for walls over 1 metre high (Waterstone Landscapes can obtain the required certification on your behalf)

OUTDOOR LIGHTING

• Custom made designs
• Installation & maintenance of existing lights
• Advice regarding design, placement & regulations
• Lighting systems to obtain the correct atmosphere

WATER FEATURES

• Custom made designs
• Installation & maintenance of existing water features
• Advice regarding design, placement & regulations
• Lighting systems to obtain the correct atmosphere
• Plant / fish selection and maintenance advice

To find out more about our other landscaping services, please visit: www.waterstonelandscapes.com.au

• Address: 550 Warrigal Road, Chadstone, Victoria 3148
• Phone: (03) 9885 3949
• Mobile: 0414 990 089
• Email: Click here to contact us.
• Website: www.urbanearth.com.au
• Services: Garden design, maintenance and renovation

What started with Cameron Swell’s one-man operation in 1990, has grown to a team of multi-disciplinary specialists providing horticultural solutions spanning garden design, maintenance, construction & irrigation.

Urban Earth is a horticultural collective of individuals united by their passion for gardens and the outdoor space. The breadth and depth of our offering, offers clients comprehensive garden management solutions, with a focus on prompt and professional service delivery.

How ‘Green’ is Urban Earth?

Urban Earth is a member of Sustainable Gardening Australia (SGA) and staff are accredited with Melbourne Water’s ‘Green Gardeners’ training program on sustainable gardening.

Garden Maintenance
Urban Earth boasts an extensive client list in both residential and commercial sectors; managing small urban courtyards to large scale gardens.
Under the stewardship of our operations manager; our maintenance crew provides a professional, down-to-earth garden maintenance service with environmentally-friendly solutions to suit all spaces and budgets.

Garden Renovation
If your garden is looking a little tired, an Urban Earth ‘once over’ can restore its former glory. Urban Earth has the practical skills and know-how to breathe new life into your garden or lawn; whether the job calls for a simple tidy-up or an extreme garden renovation make over.

Garden Design
Whether it’s a new garden or existing one, great gardens start with
great design.

Urban Earth designs sustainable and naturalistic gardens capable of stimulating the senses and inspiring the soul.
We avoid the ‘cookie-cutter’ approach to garden design plans and prefer to create contextual designs that complement their surroundings. This requires an intimate understanding of the unique qualities of the garden and outdoor space.

Construction
Working closely with you, Urban Earth can design and oversee your garden construction project from start to finish. We can construct a completely new garden or reconstruct your existing one.

We specialise in medium sized garden designs and constructions that are a little on the wild and exotic side. Our approach favours working with the landscape and not against it, and where possible we prefer to retain existing features.

Irrigation & Water Tanks
Climate change and a prolonged drought conditions have imposed new challenges for the world, our natural environment and not least, our gardens.

The implementation of water-saving techniques, such as drip irrigation and water tanks is vital to the sustainability of all gardens.

To find out more about our landscaping services, please visit: www.urbanearth.com.au

Address: PO Box 172, Williamstown VIC 3016, Australia

KMD | Landscapes is the number one choice for inspiring landscape design and construction. We will attend to your landscaping needs and provide beautiful and functional solutions.

We aim to provide the highest quality service to you from the initial consultation and into the design and construction phases. Our approach is personal, honest and entirely reliable.

Kris McFadden Design understands that a good landscape is something you will live with for years to come. It is critical to find a blend between aesthetic beauty and functionality.

While developing your landscape vision, we will consider several factors, such as the type of building we are enhancing, the aspect of the site, as well as how other elements from the ‘borrowed landscape’, such as neighbouring yards, affect the space and can be used to enhance the depth and feel of your outdoor area. Our Williamstown landscapers are highly skilled and knowledgeable.

Landscape Design
Kris McFadden Design endeavours to employ sustainable garden design principles. We believe it is critical to design landscapes that reduce the demands on energy and water. We are proud to be accredited by Melbourne Water as Green Gardeners and through water-wise and green gardening principles we will create a sustainable garden design for your outdoor design needs.

We provide landscape design services and consultations for both commercial and domestic garden situations.

Council Plans
Kris McFadden Design specialises in drafting council plans for development applications. With years of experience in developing plans for various councils in Melbourne, we have compiled a comprehensive knowledge of local council requirements. We are happy to work either in conjunction with or independently of your architect. Unlike many in our industry, we have a competitive and fixed price structure so from the moment you engage KMD landscapes to develop your landscape plans right through to council approval, you can rest assured knowing there will be no additional or hidden costs.

Residential Landscape Packages
Whether you’re looking to establish a superb outdoor living area or just revitalise one that’s got away, a comprehensive design is an integral part of every great landscape creation. We take the guesswork out of your landscape makeover. We’ll make sure you’ve got exactly what you want on paper before any construction begins, enabling you to source accurate and comparable quotes.

Construction
After the the design is finalised and the desired products have been confirmed, the groundwork can start.
Depending on the scope of work to be undertaken, the construction usually starts with an accurate survey of the land assessing the fall and drainage of the site.

Most jobs will then require some excavation of the site to establish any sub-structure components. Taking absolute care to preserve existing garden elements, we will first install components such as water tanks, storm water drains, irrigation pipes, a concrete slab for paving or stumps for decking.

Then what we call the hardscape stage (the hard elements such as paving, decking, retaining walls, etc ) begins. While ensuring a high standard of quality workmanship and adhering to any relevant Australian Standards, KMD landscapes will start creating the outdoor living area you’ve always dreamed about.

After all the hardscapes are complete, and any soil areas have been conditioned as necessary, it’s time for the decorative touches: instant turf, garden planting, water features, and/or garden seating.

…Last but not least comes the time when we do a thorough clean up. Then, all you need to do is grab the Sunday paper or a bottle of your favourite drop and sit back in your garden seating and enjoy the splendour of your new outdoor sanctuary.

To learn more how our Williamstown landscapers can help, visit KMD landscapes at www.kmdesign.com.au.